Kalen Antoine/DIGEST
Sophomore Running Back, Trey Holly, pictured hyping up the crowd during the game against FAMU on Saturday, October 25 in A.W. Mumford Stadium.
After a tough home loss to Prairie View, Southern University returned to A.W. Mumford Stadium to face Florida A&M under rainy skies in their annual Pink Game honoring former player and coach Sean Wallace. Southern had beaten FAMU 24–6 last season, but both teams entered this matchup with momentum, FAMU off a win over Alcorn State, and Southern eager to rebound.
FAMU struck first with a 29-yard field goal, but Southern answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by #6 Trey Holly to lead 7–3 after the first quarter. Holly added another score early in the second, extending the lead to 14–3. FAMU responded with a field goal, then surged with a touchdown and a 48-yard field goal to close the gap to 14–13. Just before halftime, FAMU scored again to take a 19–14 lead.
Southern regained the lead in the third quarter with a touchdown from #15 A. Strother, but FAMU edged back ahead 22–21 with another field goal. Strother struck again early in the fourth quarter, putting Southern up 28–22. The Rattlers answered with a touchdown to go up 29–28, then added two more touchdowns to stretch the lead to 43–28. Strother’s third touchdown narrowed it to 43–35, but Southern couldn’t close the gap in the final minutes.
Despite the loss, fans saw a level of fight not shown since Southern’s last win in August. Interim Head Coach Fred McNair praised the team’s energy: “They were very intense and motivated… I knew we had a chance. All they had to do was execute.” He also pointed to areas needing work: “We’re not locking up, wrapping up on tackles… That will be corrected throughout the course of the week.” McNair emphasized fundamentals, adding, “If you go through progression, you will always be right.”
Players built on McNair’s message with a focus on execution and accountability. Quarterback Ashton Strother (#15, Junior) said, “We just got to execute better… we did really good, but we got to lock in on the little details.” Running back Trey Holly (#6, Redshirt Sophomore) added, “We finally started to open up, trusting the coach,” and emphasized team growth: “Hopefully, it gives a confidence boost for everyone.” Safety Herman Brister III (#3, Redshirt Sophomore) urged his teammates to step up: “I think we all got to want to make a play… too much of the other guys looking to make a play.” Safety Elijah West (#4, Senior) kept the focus on fundamentals: “Just executing plays as they come. It definitely gives us energy to play.”
Southern now turns its attention to a crucial November 1st matchup against Arkansas–Pine Bluff. With momentum on the line, the Jaguars aim to regroup and finish strong well before the Bayou Classic begins.